Mechanicsburg
Mechanicsburg (alternatively Mechanicsburgh ) is the ancestral homeland of the Heterodyne family, a town of minions. History and Architecture The settlement eventually known as Mechanicsburg grew up around the castle that the Ht'rok-din's son, Knife, first built in 1042 . The Castle, centerpiece of the town, was razed and rebuilt three times before the current structure, dating from 1298, was erected. At some point, Faustus Heterodyne (the surname seems to have been westernized at some point) created an artificial intelligence for the castle which allowed it to help with its self-defense and that of the town . The town currently has a strongly built curtain wall set with strategic gun placements. The gates have been built with visual intimidation in mind . One gate lets out onto the sharp drop down to the River Dyne bounding one side of Mechanicsburg, and appears to be the entrance for most casual and commercial traffic, as the bridge across the river allows two wagons to pass with plenty of margin. A well-paved road runs along the cliff margin on the opposite bank . The Heterodynes deliberately left a large open plain free for potential invaders on the Black Gate (eastern) side of the town. The "screamer gun" crews, trained to have a perfect knowledge of every centimeter of the plain could precisely target any opponent (for example, the late X de Destroyer, prominent in stories told by Da Boyz) on command . Watchtowers stand around the outside edge of the plain . At some point, possibly as a result of the attack on the castle, the screamer guns were disabled , leaving the castle and town in a precariously defenseless position. However, The Baron's Peace has kept Mechanicsburg from needing a full-scale defensive suite. Currently, Mechanicsburg is "merely" a magnificently-crafted machine designed to separate tourists and the gullible from their money. It is also the center of several thriving black markets and smuggling operations. Still, many of the older people fondly remember the Glory Days, when "Made in Mechanicsburg" brought terror to the world at large . The town an attempted takeover by the Knights of Jove in order to further the restoration of the Storm King dynasty as rulers of Europa. Gilgamesh Wulfenbach installed his own experimental weapons system and foiled the attack spectacularly. This, however proved to be only the opening salvo of the Siege of Mechanicsburg which was suspended when Baron Klaus Wulfenbach activated the Take-Five Bomb and froze the city in time. Population Krosp: "I get it. A whole town of minions, and no master." After long centuries being used as the home base for House Heterodyne's savaging of the countryside, and of being "in on the take," the population have become accustomed to venting their collective energies in serving their liege lords. In return for their loyalty to their masters, the people of Mechanicsburg served as minions, guards, troops and fencers of stolen goods; as opposed to everyone else, who served as experimental subjects, victims, sources of wealth and decoration . The people of Mechanicsburg were the minions of the most vicious, insane and powerful sparks in the world. One would think that people hated living in a town ruled by dangerous crackpots, but they didn't. Their loyalty didn't originate from fear only. As Carson von Mekkhan : "People who aren't local won't understand it, but there is a lot of pride here." The people of Mechanicsburg were proud to serve the Heterodynes. While most of the Mechanicsburgers aren't sparks, they nevertheless easily got caught up in their masters' enthusiasm. Working with sparks is fun for them. also participated in the , alongside the Jägers. The missing Heterodynes left a big gap in Mechanicsburg. Most people desperately wish for a new Heterodyne. They don't like being disappointed, though. Just like their masters, they have a certain tendency for violence, and if the "long-lost Heterodyne heir" turns out to be a fake, . Some townspeople seem to have as the Jägers, so one could hypothesise that Jägerspeak equals the local dialect. After all the Jägers were originally part of the human Mechanicsburg population. The use the same way of speaking. Officially the town is governed by a town council appointed by Baron Klaus Wulfenbach. Unofficially, it is led by the seneschals . Mechanicsburg Tourism Song The Mechanicsburg Town Council commissioned this from Professor Tom Smith of Transylvania Polygnostic University, and he has generously allowed its reproduction here in addition to its : Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg, Welcome to Mechanicsburg! There's no finer city from St. Petersburg to Rome. Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg, The loveliest we've ever heard of, Jewel of Europa and The place where we call home. How mighty are her mighty walls, How shiny are her clanks, How beautiful her dairy farms, And for her cheese we all give thanks. How glorious her Hospital Which helps folk far and near, Bill and Barry Heterodyne Built it for us here. Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg, Welcome to Mechanicsburg, We thank you so for visiting, With every erg and ohm. Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg, The greatest burg we've ever heard of, Jewel of Europa and The place where we call home. The recording may be found in Professor Smith's archives. Outside World and Speculation Mechanicsburg appears to be tucked into a particularly advantageous spot in what appears to be the equivalent of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, just north of the river Olt, possibly in the location of modern-day Sibiu Considering the open plain on the east side of town, the mountainous area around Mechanicsburg, the salt-deposits (in refernce to a footnote in the second novel, which speaks of fossil finds) and the central castle hill, modern-day Sighișoara might be a better match. The Ht'rok-din himself may the chief of a particularly brutal tribe which is speculated may have come from the east, perhaps Huns, or some other predecessors of the Mongol armies (likely Pechenegs, considering the time period and location), speculation inspired by a sketch labeled Ghengis Heterodyne, which can be found in the Secret Blueprints. See also: Characters from Mechanicsburg Category:Cities and Towns